Mariners Select Seby Zavala, Sign Chris Devenski

The Mariners announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Seby Zavala, with left-hander Jhonathan Díaz optioned to Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move. Additionally, the M’s have signed right-hander Chris Devenski to a major league contract, though Devenski will report to Tacoma. Seattle had three vacancies on their 40-man roster coming into today, so their count is now at 39.

Zavala, 30, was acquired as part of the Eugenio Suárez trade back in November. He was used as a glove-first backup catcher for a while with Cal Raleigh getting the bulk of the playing time. The M’s had also signed Mitch Garver but with the idea of using him primarily as a designated hitter, though Garver started playing behind the plate more as the season wore on.

That left just 43 plate appearances for Zavala through the middle of June. He hit .154/.214/.282 in that limited time while striking out at a 37.2% rate. As Garver started donning the tools of ignorance, Zavala was designated for assignment and outrighted off the roster. He had the right to elect free agency at that time but stuck with the M’s and is now back in the bigs.

His selection is likely due to Garver’s status, as he was hit by a pitch on his right wrist on Sunday. He was catching that game with Raleigh in the DH slot, but Raleigh moved behind the plate in the third inning as Garver departed, leaving the M’s to play without a DH for the rest of the game.

Per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com on X, Garver is feeling better but still sore and is “going to go feel it out,” in Garver’s words. Since he is seemingly unavailable, at least for a few days, the club was going to be left with just Raleigh and no backup catcher, which prompted Zavala’s return. Once Garver is healthy, Zavala might get squeezed out again since he is out of options.

Devenski, 33, was just released by the Rays last week but has quickly landed a new gig. As a veteran with more than five years of service time, he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent. Since the M’s announced that he will report to Tacoma, perhaps he has given his consent, unless that’s just an on-paper move until he reports to the club.

The righty was having a rough season with the Rays, tossing 26 2/3 innings with 6.75 earned runs allowed per nine. His 19.7% strikeout rate and 11.5% walk rate were both below average, leading Tampa to cut him loose.

The M’s clearly have some kind of idea for getting him back on track. He was once a dominant reliever with the Astros, throwing 189 innings with that club over 2016 and 2017 with a 2.35 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. But he struggled in the following years and missed time due to injuries, including Tommy John surgery. He had a 4.56 ERA over 2018 and 2019 and then a 9.47 ERA from 2020 to 2022.

He seemed to show a bit of life last year, with 42 1/3 innings between the Angels and Rays. He had a 4.46 ERA in that time, as well as a 24.3% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. The Rays were encouraged enough to bring him back for 2024 with a $1.1MM guarantee, in the form of a $1MM salary this year and $100K buyout on a 2025 option.

But now that Devenski has been released, the Rays are left on the hook for that money. The M’s will only owe him the prorated version of the major league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Rays pay.

The M’s have taken some hits in their bullpen this year, with each of Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, Jackson Kowar and Gabe Speier currently on the injured list, with Brash and Kowar done for the year due to Tommy John surgery. There’s little harm on taking a low-cost flier on Devenski to see if he can help make up for those losses by returning to form.